plankter
noun
plank·ter
ˈplaŋ(k)-tər 
plural plankters
: an individual planktonic organism (such as a dinoflagellate, diatom, copepod, or radiolarian)
What these marine organisms lack in size, they make up for in numbers. For example, phytoplankton are microorganisms that reside near the water's surface and live off sunlight. You need a microscope to see an individual plankter, but you can see phytoplankton blooms from space.—
Umair Irfan
Umair IrfanWhen we look casually at the sea around us, we may be hardly aware that living concealed beneath the surface, especially in harbour and coastal waters, are millions of tiny organisms … which together make up the plankton. Each plankton organism is known as a plankter.—Vivienne Cassie
Vivienne CassieDictionary Entries Near plankter
Cite this Entry
“Plankter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plankter. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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